Here is a quick great recipe for Buffalo and Asian BBQ Chicken Lollipops by Chef Josh Capon. These were snapped up in seconds, and smelled amazing as well. This recipe was provided by Chef Josh Capon at the JCPenny Tailgating Party, and is perfect for the next party you are throwing.

Ingredients:

5 lbs chicken wingettes

1 cup flour

1 bottle Franks hot sauce, or hot sauce of your choice

1 pint bleu cheese dressing

2 cups Hoisin sauce

1/2 cup soy suace

2 tbsp Tabasco

2 tsp fresh lime juice

1 cup season rice wine vinegar

vegetable oil for deep fryer

black and white sesame seeds

celery, carrot and cucumber sticks

salt and pepper

Chop off both ends of the wingettes using a sharp knife removing the joints. Pull out one of the two bones and push the meat to one side. Set aside in fridge until ready to use. These can also be frozen at this point to decrease prep time during the week

The holidays are now finally winding down for a few months unless you have a significant other, Valentine’s day is around the corner, men, do not forget. Speaking of significant others, below is a recipe by Chef Jula Jaksis from Employees Only- her restaurant in NY on Christopher St. It is for Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Pomegranate-Mint Relish, using the POM Wonderful pomegranates.

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 lb. ground lamb

¼ cup shallots, finely diced

1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3 tablespoons mint, chopped

3 tablespoons parsley, chopped

½ cup bread crumbs

½ cup chicken stock

Yogurt

1 4-oz. container Greek yogurt

juice from ½ lemon

Pomegranate-Mint Relish

1 cup arils from POM Wonderful Pomegranates

(or 1 cup POM POMS Fresh Arils)

2 tablespoons mint, chopped

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Meatballs:

In a large bowl, mix together the lamb, shallots, garlic, spices and herbs.

American Lamb is one of the most versatile meats available in your local grocery store. It imparts a wonderful taste to your dishes and makes for some incredible Latin, Middle Easter, Asian and Mediterranean foods. From gyros, kabobs, bulgogi, or stew- all can use American Lamb to truly bring out the proper international flavor while still buying local. Nearly 82,000 family owned sheep operations are in existence in the United States giving us consumers a steady rate of local family owned meats.

Today we will be making a wonderful traditional Mediterranean dish, Shawarma. Shawarma is a marinated lamb dish which is put over rice, inside of pita or simply by itself. This dish is incredibly easy to prepare and a delicious way to bring some international flare to your dinner room table without having to break the bank on odd spices and ingredients that will only be used once. So be sure to check it out and enjoy. Also I threw together a tahini sauce which is great when poured over the Shawarma, but is not necessary to make this meal. If you do make the tahini sauce, it is quick and easy, but you might want to make quite a bit. It can be poured over or dipped into by everything, which it will be once you taste it.

Disclosure- “I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Arla Dofino. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”

There are many snack options on the market for kids after school, some of which are quite un-healthy and some of which are quite the opposite. One such option is cheese. In moderation cheese is a delightful change of pace and makes for a quick easy snack for kids and parents alike. Today we will be looking at a few of the cheeses available from Arla Dofino.
Arla Dofino has been making cheese for over 100 years in the heart land of the USA and one of the cheese making capitals of the country- Wisconsin. By using all natural ingredients and hormone free, the environmentally friendly way to make cheese. There are several varieties of cheeses available by Arla Dofino which include Havarti, Gouda, Fontina, Edam and Muenster in a variety of flavors ranging from Creamy, Light, Dill, Caraway, Jalapeno, Smoked, Chipotle, Pesto, Chili Lime, and Cracked Peppercorn there is destined to be a favorite for those with distinguished palettes or just those picky eaters among us.

We had the pleasure of trying a few of the cheeses available and tried the Havarti line, since that what our local stores carried. For those of you like us who aren’t very familiar with Havarti, it is creamy and buttery in flavor and is perfect for crackers and sandwiches as well as cubed as a light snack. We tried the Dill flavor and the regular flavor of the cheeses the Dill was a favorite of the adults and the plain was a favorite of the little guy. He enjoyed the dill but loved the regular. He enjoyed it so much not only was it an after school snack but also a requested addition to the next day’s lunch box which is always a rare event. Below is a quick recipe for a light nutritious lunch addition for kid or adults:(more…)